1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward a railcar latch assembly and, in particular, to a railcar latch assembly adapted for use with a railcar hatch cover.
2. Description of Related Art
Covered hopper railcars have been used for years to transport particulate and granular materials such as grain. Typically, a car is loaded or unloaded through the use of overhead chutes that extend through one or more openings in the top of the car. One or more covers are typically mounted to the top of the car. The covers rotate from a closed position covering the opening and protecting any cargo stored within the railcar to an open position for loading and/or unloading. In order to prevent the covers from inadvertently opening while the railcar is in transport, a latch is typically mounted to the top of the railcar.
One type of conventional latch is manufactured by IRECO. In a latched position, the latch engages a tab on the cover to prevent it from opening. The latch is moveable from the latched position to an unlatched position by rotating it about an axis that is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the railcar. The latch has a locking pawl that must be released before the latch may be rotated to its unlatched position. A seal may be inserted through openings in the latch to provide an indication of whether the cover has been opened.
In order to open the cover, a railroad worker standing on top of the railcar must perform the following sequence: (1) cut the seal; (2) remove the seal; (3) release and hold the locking pawl; (4) rotate the latch to unlatch it; and (5) grasp the lower edge of the cover and rotate it to the open position. Thus, the worker must perform five separate steps to open the cover. The majority of these steps must be repeated in reverse in order to close and latch the cover. There may be five or more covers on a railcar and fifty or more connected railcars that need to be loaded and unloaded. Repeating these steps for the opening and closing of each cover on each railcar takes a substantial amount of time. Further, it can be dangerous to perform all of these steps while standing on a relatively narrow walkway on top of the railcar.